


One Year Later

by LadyFogg



Series: Ryan & Mantis Series [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Language, Sex, Sexual Content, Smut, Smut & Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-31 00:36:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3957844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFogg/pseuds/LadyFogg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A glimpse into the life of Mantis and the Mad King one year after the events of Grey Area.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Year Later

You land on your favorite rooftop, pushing your hood back from your face.

It’s been a long, tiring night. Some stupid idiots decided to try to rob an armored car, which you spectacularly put a stop to. However, their weapons were far more advanced than you are used to and your favorite jacket is now torn and ripped in places where the lasers pierced your barriers. You need to work on those. Shielding yourself while flying is difficult and sometimes you don’t hold the barrier up as long as you should.

“Lindsay, are we good?” you ask into your earpiece.

“All quiet on this end,” Lindsay says. “You’re probably good to come home.”

“Excellent,” you say excitedly, giving the street below one final sweep. A few pedestrians notice you and wave, while others pull out their phones to try to get your picture. Ever since you stopped the Mad King’s “bomb” last year, you are a bit more noticed than you were before. It was annoying at first, but now you’re used to it. You wave back before stepping away from the edge of the building and turning in the direction of home. “You can head out, Linds. I’ll be back there in twenty.”

“Why you kicking me out?” Lindsay asks, teasingly. “Got a hot date?”

“I wouldn’t really call it date.”

You practically hear Lindsay rolling her eyes. “You guys are so fucking weird,” she says. “Alright, hint taken. I’m out.”

“You should come by tomorrow for dinner,” you suggest. “It’ll be fun. Well, maybe not fun. Definitely interesting.”

“Only if I can bring Michael,” Lindsay says.

You take off into the night sky, pulling your hood up again so the wind doesn’t hit you quite as much. “That’s up to him,” you tell her. “Michael made it perfectly clear how he feels about mine and Ryan’s arrangement. And I made it clear how I feel. He can come if he wants to, but I don’t want to play the fucking mediator.”

Lindsay gives an audible sigh. “I’ll think about it,” she says. “I’ll suggest it to him and we’ll see. You knew this was going to take some getting used to.”

“It’s been over a year,” you tell her, rolling over onto your back to look up at the stars as you fly towards home. “Don’t get me wrong, Ryan can be a complete fucking asshole. But he’s trying to be better.”

“You know that and I know that,” Lindsay says. “But the Lads aren’t so easily convinced. Plus, he hasn’t passed the ‘mentor seal of approval’.” You imagine her doing air quotes and chuckle.

“Because I’m really not ready for Geoff to meet him,” you say. Your earpiece beeps, signalling another call. You press the small button on the side of your mask and Ryan’s face and telephone number appears before your eyes. “I gotta go, Linds. He’s on the other line. Talk to you later.”

“Night, Mantis.”

You hang up with your best friend and answer the other call. “Hey you.”

“Hey yourself, beautiful,” Ryan says, his voice laced with a smile. “I’m running a little late but I’m leaving the office now. We still on for tonight?”

“Of course,” you tell him, resting your hands behind your head. When you first started flying, you would freak yourself out when you flew like this. The feeling of nothing underneath you was terrifying and you still have panic attacks sometimes. But tonight you’re feeling good. Confident. “Lindsay’s heading out now so it’ll just be us.”

“Mmm, excellent,” he says, his voice sending a slight stab of desire through you. “You owe me for this week.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” you tell him, rolling around onto your stomach again as you pay attention to where you’re going.

“Yeah you do!” Ryan exclaims. “You didn’t pull your punches yesterday.”

“You were being a prick,” you tell him with a shrug. “Can’t handle it? Stop robbing banks and breaking the law.”

Ryan laughs. “God, I can’t wait to get my hands on you, “ he purrs.

“Well, stop talking about it and come do it, Haywood,” you say, grinning.

“On my way,” he tells you. “It’ll be nice if you’re naked and waiting for me when I get there.”

You roll your eyes. “Good bye, Ryan.” You hang up the phone and you begin to descend towards the ground.

It’s been a strange year.

This thing between you and Ryan doesn’t really have a label. While you are exclusive to each other, you don’t feel the word ‘boyfriend’ is a sufficient enough title. ‘Lover’ sounds weird too. Like you’re in a bad romance novel. You suppose ‘partner’ sounds alright, but that would require you two to actually work together. He has slowed down on his law breaking, but you don’t know if that has to do with you or the fact that his company just acquired two small airlines and he’s been busy.

Either way, you welcome the change. Things have been pretty quiet lately, which has given you time to train and take things easy.

Your feet touch the ground outside your house and you notice Lindsay’s car is gone already.

The first thing you do when you get inside is take your mask off. It’s made of a better material than your old one was and Ryan was able to craft it so it fit your face perfectly and came off without pulling your skin with it. You take off your ruined jacket and drop it onto the kitchen table before heading into the living room.

What once was the control center of your operation is now a regular living room. Your consoles have been moved into a back spare room, giving you a separate space to relax. It was something you’re trying to do and it’s not easy. After four years of being a non-stop superhero, you think it’s time to take a step back. You want to try to find some semblance of a life outside of your duties, you’re just not sure how to go about doing it.

Once in your bedroom, you strip off the rest of your dirty clothes and jump in the shower.

You don’t stay in there long, eager to put on something comfortable and relax in front of the TV until Ryan gets there. You wander into your bedroom, a towel wrapped firmly around your body. You open your closet and make a noise of annoyance. You have so many more clothes now than you did before, it’s hard to find your regular comfortable stuff. Ryan spends way too much money on you.

You find a nice, soft cotton dress that you haven’t seen before. It doesn’t look like it’s very fancy, just something you can comfortably lounge in so you drop your towel and tug it on impatiently. You run a brush through your hair and dry it before making your way back to the living room.

His office is on the other side of town and you know you still have a good forty-five minutes until he gets there. You drop onto your plush sofa, turn on the TV, and pass out almost instantly.

When a firm hand runs up your arm, your eyes fly open and you grab the person’s neck instinctively.

“Hey, whoa!” Ryan says, grabbing your wrist. “It’s just me.”

You let out a sigh of relief and let him go. “I’m sorry,” you say, struggling to push yourself up into a sitting position. “Wasn’t expecting to pass out. You just get here?”

Ryan takes the spot next to you. He looks exhausted. “Yeah, sorry I took so long,” he says. “People kept trying to have me sign stuff while I was leaving.” You lay your head on his lap, looking up at him. He smiles down at you and begins to stroke your head. “How’s my girl?”

You narrow your eyes at him.

“Don’t give me that look,” he says. “You know I can’t help it. I always consider you my girl.” Your cheeks begin to burn red and you shake your head at him.

“I’m fine,” you tell him. “Some idiots tried to rob an armoured truck.”

“Ambitious.”

“Fucking stupid,” you say. “It was in my zone. They should have figured I would have stopped them. Their weapons were high class though. Ones I haven’t really seen before.”

“Did you manage to snag one?” Ryan asks.

You give a huff of annoyance. “No,” you say bitterly. “Stupid authorities got to them first. I can describe them to you though or draw up what they looked like.”

Ryan waves his hand dismissively. “Nah, not now at least,” he says. His fingers lightly trail down your cheek. “It’s been a long day and I just want to lose myself in your company. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, starving,” you say. You didn’t realize how famished you are until he mentioned it. “Lindsay did groceries so we should have plenty to make.”

When Ryan doesn’t respond, you cock your head to the side. “What?”

“I was thinking we could go out to eat,” he says with a shrug. “I can have Kerry back here with the limo in minutes.”

At the the mention of going out, you scoff and sit up. “Not this again.”

“Mantis, you need to leave this house without your mask sooner or later,” Ryan says. “Especially if you’re serious about having a life outside of the mask.”

“I know, I know,” you say, getting off the couch. “I just really don’t want to have this discussion again.”

“Fine, maybe dinner is too much,” Ryan says, following your lead. “What about a walk? We can do a simple walk down the street tomorrow, no mask.”

“Are you ever going to let this go?” you ask, turning towards him with your hands on your hips.

He smirks at you and closes the distance between the both of you, slipping his arms around your waist. “I think you know me well enough by now to know that I won’t,” he says.

You let out a groan of frustration as he pulls you against him. Your arms go limp at your side as you don’t even fight. “Ugh, _fine_ ,” you say, going dead weight against his body. “I’ll…go outside without my mask.”

Ryan laughs as your obvious displeasure of the conversation’s outcome. “Is it really so hard for you?” he asks, pulling back slightly to catch your eye.

“I’ve never been anyone else,” you tell him. “When I decided to put on the mask, I told myself I had to Mantis completely or it won’t work. Now…without the mask I don’t know who I am.”

“Who were you before the mask?” Ryan asks.

“A nobody,” you answer.

“I don’t think that’s true,” he says. “You have a name, don’t you? Not one that was given to you by the city, but one that was given to you by your parents.”

“Yeah…” you say. “But I haven’t used it in years.”

“Well, what is it?” Ryan asks. “When you don’t have your mask on, I can call you by your real name.”

You don’t answer right away. You want to, but your name has been your own for so long, you’re not really ready to give it up. “I…can’t tell you that…not now at least. I don’t think I’m ready to start going by that name again.”

Ryan sighs and you see the muscle in his jaw twitch, the way it usually does when he’s angry and trying to hold it in. He’s gotten better at reining in his anger, just as you’ve gotten better at loosening up a bit. But it’s a constant struggle. He’s still not used to people being able to deny him, and now that you, Lindsay and the Lads are all immune to his powers, it’s something he’s frequently been dealing with. “I won’t push you,” he says in a carefully steady tone. “When you’re ready, you can tell me.”

You give him a grateful smile.

“Now will you hug me back, I’m tired of holding you up.”

You laugh and take your weight off him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Better?”

“I could do with a kiss,” Ryan admits, raising an eyebrow.

You smirk back and lean forward, capturing his mouth in a firm kiss. You can feel him grin against your lips and one hand comes up to grasp the back of your head. However, the kiss is over far too quickly for your liking. He pulls back, but then he’s scooping you into his arms and you let out an undignified squeak.

“Put me down,” you order.

He’s already carrying you towards the bedroom. “No,” he says.

“God dammit, Ryan!” you snap. “I can walk!”

“But I want to carry you,” he says as he enters the bedroom. “Mainly so I can do this.”

He tosses you unceremoniously onto the bed and you bounce forcefully. But your grip on his suit jacket is tight and he comes tumbling down with you. As annoyed as you are at being carried, you can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Ryan soon joins in as you both try to untangle yourselves from the other.

He sits up and shrugs out of his jacket and you prop yourself up your elbows to watch. He slowly peels away the layers of his suit and you give a snort of laughter. “You really need to undress before you get here,” you tell him. “You have so many articles of clothing on. I’m gonna fall asleep waiting.”

“You can make yourself useful and help,” Ryan tells you, throwing his tie to the side and starting on the buttons of his shirt.

“Nah,” you say with a smirk. “I’ll just watch you.”

“I feel like a piece of meat on display,” Ryan says, letting his white shirt slide off his arms and onto the bed. He’s not wearing an undershirt and his toned chest makes your cheeks instantly flush. Since you both started training together, his muscles have become more defined and you can’t say you don’t find it incredibly attractive and arousing.  

Your smirk widens and you hook your legs around his waist, forcing him to shuffle towards you on his knees. “You are on display,” you say simply. “So make it count.”

He chuckles and slowly undoes his belt before sliding it through the belt loops and putting it off to the side. When he moves to unbutton his pants, you make a noise of disappointment and shake your head at him. “What?” he asks with a frown.

“You’re not making it count.”

“What does that even mean?”

You try to keep your face as neutral as possible. “Do a dance.”

Ryan raises his eyebrow at you. “Excuse me?” he asks deadpanned.

“You heard me.”

He stares at you for what feels like a whole minute before his hips slowly begin to move and his shoulders do an awkward shuffle. He moves to slowly drag his zipper down and pushes his trousers down to bunch around his knees. He looks so awkward and uncomfortable.

You try to hold in your laugh, but you can’t and it bursts forward forcefully. You practically roll away from him as you dissolve into a fit of deep laughter and at first he looks annoyed and slightly hurt. But then his face also cracks into a smile when he sees that you were messing with him, and then he’s laughing too as he wrestles you onto your back.

“You’re so mean to me,” he says, placings soft kisses down your neck.

“Yeah, well, you fucking deserve it,” you tell him as your giggles slowly die down and you arch into his touch. “After the shit you put me through?”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” he asks, his hand reaching up to drag one of the straps of your dress down your shoulder.

“In what universe do you think I would ever let you?” You sit up slightly so he can slide the dress off your other shoulder, pulling back slightly to work the garment down your body.

He removes the rest of his clothing as well before he’s hovering over you once more. “You wouldn’t be my girl if you did,” he says, ducking his head to pepper kisses down your chest.

“I’m not your girl.”

“You’re kind of my girl.”

You reach down to poke him in the side, causing him to jump at the tickling sensation. “I’m not anyone’s ‘girl’,” you remind him.

“I don’t mean it possessively,” Ryan says, batting your hand away from his ticklish spot. He places kisses in between your breasts and you feel a wave of heat wash over your whole body. “I only mean that you’re the only girl I want.”

“Girl?”

“Fine, woman,” Ryan amends. He reaches down to wrap your powerful thighs around his waist as he settles himself comfortably between your legs. You can feel his cock resting against your thigh and you grow wet at the promise of what’s to come. His mouth is busy re acquainting itself with your breasts and you run your hands up his strong arms before settling them on his shoulders. “You’re the only woman I want. I love you.”

It’s taken a long time for you not to blush when he says these three words. And it’s taken even longer for you to reciprocate. “Love you too,” you say softly.

“Yeah?” he asks, giving you a small lopsided smile.

“Yeah,” you say. “Even though you can be a pain in the ass.”

Ryan chuckles and leans up to capture your mouth in a searing kiss. His massages your lips expertly and you accept his curious tongue. You can feel him harden against you and he presses his hips forward, dragging himself along your wet slit in an achingly slow thrust. He does it a second time, and then a third, and by the fourth one you’re moving your own hips to meet his.

“Mmm, I think tonight I’ll take you slowly,” he mumbles as he draws away from your mouth to catch his breath.

You let out a whimper, beyond the point of words now. Regardless, he still hears the question you silently pose.

“Yes, very, _very_ slowly,” he purrs. His mouth finds your pulse point and he presses hard kisses there as he holds himself up on one elbow, while his free hand moves down in between your legs. You can feel him take hold of himself and you press up into him, forcing the tip of his hard cock in between your throbbing folds. He takes the hint and eases into you at a frustratingly slow pace.

You immediately clamp down around him and he pauses his movements, waiting until he feels you loosen slightly around his length. When he’s fully buried inside of you, he inhales sharply. You tangle your fingers in his hair and give him a gentle tug, forcing his mouth up to yours.

Most of the time you two are anything but gentle with each other. Sex has always been an intensely rough and almost brutal experience between the both of you. And that certainly hasn’t changed over the past year. But every now and then, when he’s had a long day or you’re feeling particularly affectionate, you both take things slow like this. He calls it making love, and since you don’t really have anything to compare it to, you agree with him. It certainly feels like making love.

After, once you’ve been satisfied at least twice and he’s finally gotten his fill of you (for the moment at least) he lays on his back with you draped across his chest.

“So, I was thinking…” he begins.

“No.”

Ryan gives a snort of laughter. “You don’t even know what I was going to suggest.”

“Yeah, but I know that tone,” you tell him, snuggling against him into a more comfortable position. “You’re going to suggest something even though you know I’m not going to like it.”

“You know me well,” he says with a hint of a smile.

“I do. And you know me well,” you tell him. “Proceed with caution.”

“I was going to say, I was thinking I could stay over here more often,” he says.

“Is that what you really want?” you ask. “Can’t help but feel like that wasn’t what you were originally going to say.”

“Well what I really want is for you to come live with me in the city,” he says. “But I know that’s not going to happen.”

“We haven’t known each other very long,” you point out. “That’s--”

“I know, which is why I didn’t suggest it,” he says. “But I want to spend more time with you. So I’m going to ease up on working, and help you to ease up on, well, everything.”

“Hey! I’ve come a long way, you ass,” you snap, glancing up at him to shoot him a glare.

He chuckles. “You really have, and I’m proud of you,” he says. “And I know you're comfortable here and I’m…trying to be better about pushing you too much. Doesn’t change the fact I still want to help you.”

“Ryan,” you tell him, pushing yourself up to you’re leaning down over him. “For someone who considers himself a ‘villain’ you spend an awful lot of time trying to help me. But here’s the thing, I don’t need help. I do admit I need to get out more. And I do admit I need to separate Mantis from the real me. But I’m not some damsel in distress for you to save. I will work through my issues, on my own. Having you here by my side makes it easier. But it’s not a necessity for me. Are we clear on that?”

His jaw clenches again at first you think you’ve made him angry. But after a minute or two, he lets out a small sigh and mumbles, “Yeah, we’re clear. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying.”

It’s your turn to sigh and you lay back down. “Let’s not talk about this now,” you say firmly. “It’s been a long day for both of us. Can we just enjoy each other’s company?”

He places a soft kiss to your forehead. “Okay.” He doesn’t want to drop it. You know him well enough that you can tell. But he’s too tired to argue with you. Any other night you probably would have gotten into it and he would have stormed off to sleep in the guest room, or left for his own place. Tonight he lets it go and just holds you, until you both fall asleep.


End file.
